The basketweave crochet stitch is a beautiful textured stitch that creates a woven fabric rich in density and beauty. It can be worked in any type of yarn although it looks especially beautiful in a classic worsted weight yarn such as Caron Simply Soft because of the structure of the stitch. This guide will teach you all about how to crochet basketweave stitch including the most popular version of the stitch and a set of variations to play with. Understanding Basketweave Stitch Before we get started with the steps to make this crochet stitch, it is best to understand what we are working with. The basketweave design is created by using a combination of front post stitches and back post stitches. By alternating a set of each of these across the row, you create a fabric that has texture popping in and out and you get that great basketweave design. Typically, basketweave crochet patterns will call for front post double crochet (fpdc) and back post double crochet (bpdc). Here's a reminder of how to do those stitches: How to fpdc: The front post double crochet (fpdc) is made in the same way as a standard double crochet (dc) stitch except that you are working around a post in the previous row rather than working into the top of the stitch. Step 1 Yarn over. Step 2 Insert crochet hook around the post where you want to crochet the stitch by inserting down into the hole in front of the stitch and back up through the hole after the stitch. Your crochet hook should now be sitting behind the stitch that you want to crochet around. (The stitch is in the "front".) Step 3 Yarn over and draw up a loop. Step 4 Yarn over and pull through first two loops on hook. Step 5 Yarn over and pull through remaining two loops on hook. How to bpdc: The back post double crochet (bpdc) is worked in the same way asthe fpdc except that in Step 2, you insert the crochet hook UP into the hole in front of the stitch and then back DOWN through the hole after the stitch. Your crochet hook will be sitting on top of the stitch that you want to crochet around. (The stitch is in the "back".) How to Crochet Basic Basketweave Stitch Here are the instructions for how to crochet the most popular form of the basketweave crochet stitch: Step 1 Crochet a foundation chain that is a multiple of 8. (You'll be doing four fpdc, then four bpdc to create the basketweave so that's why you're working with a multiple of 8.) In this example, we've used a foundation chain of 32. Step 2 Dc in 4th chain from hook and in each dc across. You have to have something to actually crochet around for post stitches, which is why you create this row of dc stitches. Step 3 Turn, Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc here and throughout). Skip the first dc stitch (on the very end of the previous row). Step 4 Then fpdc around each of the next 4 stitches, bpdc around the post of each of the following four stitches. Step 5 Repeat Step 4 across the entire row. Note that you will end halfway through the last set of 8, completing only the front post stitches on the final set, not the back-poststitches. Step 6 Dc in top of turning chain. Step 7 Repeat Step 3. Step 8 Bpdc around each of the next 4 stitches, fpdc around the each of the following four stitches. Repeat this pattern across row. Dc in top of turning chain. Note: As you begin this row you are working bpdc around the fpdc of the row before, but since you have turned the piece, the stitches should be pointing the same way. In other words, your stitches should protrude the same direction across this row as they did in the previous row. Where they look like they are popping towards you, you should be doing front post stitches, so they keep popping towards you. By this time, you should begin noticing that you are creating alternating squares with vertical stripes where the bpdc are and horizontal stripes where the fpdc are. Step 9 Repeat steps 3-8 two times. Note: You're continuing to work the same pattern. After this step is complete, you'll have done four rows and will have the first section of the pattern. Step 10 Repeat steps 7-8 one time. Note: What you're doing here is reversing the order, starting with bpdc into bpdc for the first set of stitches. This means that you'll be creating rows that pop away from you above the ones that are currently popping towards you. As you work this, you'll see that there are now vertical stripes above the horizontal ones you created and horizontal stripes above the vertical ones. This is what the classic basketweave crochet pattern is. Step 11 Repeat steps 3-6 one time. Note: You're now continuing the pattern, so the direction that the stitches pop out will be the same direction as in the previous row; you're working bpdc into fpdc from the previous row, but since you turned the work they'll protrude the same direction. Step 12 Repeat steps 10-11 one time. (In other words, two more rows, the first starting with bpdc and the second starting with fpdc.) That completes one full round of the basketweave crochet stitch. This basic basketweave crochet stitch creates 4x4 squares. To continue the pattern, you'll repeat steps 3-12 over and over to the length that you desire. If you learn better using video tutorials, you can also check out the Basketweave Crochet Stitch video tutorial by Marly Bird here on Red Heart. Crochet Basketweave Variation 1: Stitch Count Once you have mastered the basic crochet basketweave stitch, you can play around with different effects by changing the stitch count across the row. Instead of four fpdc followed by four bpdc across the row, you might do more or less, such as: 2x2 basketweave crochet square Start with a foundation chain that is a multiple of 4. (This example uses chain 32.) Dc in 4th chain from hook and each chain across. Turn, ch 3 (counts as 1st dc here and throughout). Skip the first dc stitch (on the very end of the previous row). Then fpdc around each of the next 2 stitches, bpdc around the post of each of the following 2 stitches. Repeat across ending with fpdc stitches. Dc in top of turning chain. Turn, ch 3, then * bpdc in 2 stitches, fpdc in 2 stitches across the row. That's two rows, so now it's time to reverse it. Do this by repeating Step 4. Turn, ch 3, *fpdc in 2 stitches, bpdc in 2 stitches. Repeat pattern across row. That completes one 2x2 set. Repeat Steps 2-6 to the length that you desire. 6x6 basketweave crochet square Start with a foundation chain that is a multiple of 12. (This examples using ch 36.) Dc in 4th chain from hook and each chain across. Turn, ch 3 (counts as 1st dc here and throughout). Skip the first dc stitch (on the very end of the previous row). *Fpdc in 6 stitches, bpdc in 6 stitches. Repeat from * across row. DC in top of turning chain. (Remember that you end with just the first half, the front post stitches, not the full set on the last round.) *Bpdc in 6 stitches, fpdc in 6 stitches. Repeat from * across row. Repeat Steps 3-4 2 times. Repeat Step 4 (to reverse the design for the next set of six rows). Repeat Step 3. Repeat Steps 6-7 2 times. That completes one 6x6 set. Repeats Steps 2-8 to the length that you desire. In the above examples, you are replicating a symmetrical, square-based crochet pattern, making the squares smaller or larger than the original design. However, you could also alter the stitch count to create rectangular shapes. For example, you could crochet: 2x4 basketweave crochet square This means that you'll crochet sets of two across and do four rows before alternating. So you'll crochet 2 fpdc, 2 bpdc across a row and crochet four rows then alternate the direction that the post stitches protrude for the next four stitches. Your starting chain should be a multiple of the # of stitches across (2) x 2 so in this case it's a multiple of 4. 4x2 basketweave crochet square In this example, you would crochet sets of four across (4 fpdc, 4 bpdc across) but only crochet two rows of that before alternating. Your starting chain is a multiple of the 4 stitches across x 2 so it's a multiple of 8. Crochet Basketweave Variation 2: Stitch Height Rather than changing the number of FPDC, BPDC stitches across the row, you could alternatively change the height of the stitches for a different style of basketweave crochet. This means that instead of FPDC, you might choose instead to try: Half Double Crochet Basketweave The basics are the same, but you're crocheting half double stitches around the posts from the row before. Remember that you have to adjust the length of your starting chain and turning chain to account for the shorter stitches. So if you're working a standard 4x4 basketweave pattern in hdc, you'll want your starting chain to be one chain less than a multiple of 8 and your turning chain to be 2 stitches instead of 3. Note: Shorter post stitches are harder to crochet so practice the regular dc before trying your hand at hdc or even sc post stitches. Treble Crochet Basketweave You can go taller instead of shorter by crocheting treble crochet post stitches. In this case, you'll need your starting chain to be one chain more than a multiple of 8 and your turning chain to be 4 stitches instead of 3 to account for the fact that the treble crochet is one stitch taller than the double crochet.
